Bioenergy and Biorefinery Laboratories

The Bioenergy and Biorefinery Laboratories, located in the Alumni Building, focus on advancing sustainable energy, materials, and value-added products from biomass through integrated biorefinery approaches. The research emphasizes the transition from laboratory-scale concepts to practical, scalable systems, with a strong focus on economic feasibility and real-world implementation.

A central theme of the laboratory is the integrated utilization of lignocellulosic biomass to develop efficient and resource-conscious processing pathways.The work combines experimental research with integrated sustainability analysis, including techno-economic analysis (TEA) and environmental and social life cycle assessment (LCA), to evaluate both process performance and broader environmental and societal impacts.

An emerging area of focus is the application of these approaches to Arctic and northern regions, where seasonal variability, resource constraints, and decentralized infrastructure require tailored solutions. The laboratory is also beginning to explore community-engaged approaches, including potential collaboration with First Nations communities, to develop locally relevant and culturally appropriate strategies for biomass utilization and waste management.

 

Bioenergy and Biorefinery Laboratories

Research Themes

  • Biorefining of lignocellulosic biomass
  • Integrated sustainability analysis (TEA, environmental and social LCA)
  • Circular bioeconomy and waste-to-value systems
  • Process development and scale-up of biorefinery systems
  • Arctic and northern biorefinery systems (emerging)
  • First Nations and community-engaged sustainability initiatives (emerging)